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Tony Award-winning comedian Barry Humphries, internationally renowned for his garish stage persona Dame Edna Everage, a condescending and imperfectly-veiled snob whose evolving character has delighted audiences over seven decades, has died. He was 89. His death in the Sydney hospital, where he spent several days with complications following hip surgery, was confirmed by his family. "He was completely himself until the very end, never losing his brilliant mind, his unique wit and generosity of spirit," a family statement said. "With over 70 years on the stage, he was an entertainer to his core, touring up until the last year of his life and planning more shows that will sadly never be," they added. Humphries had lived in London for decades and returned to native Australia in December for Christmas. ALEC BALDWIN SPOOTTED ON ‘RUST’ SET HOLDING GUN AFTER CRIMINAL CHARGES DROPPED He told The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper last month that his physiotherapy had bee...

Meghan Markle reportedly claimed King Charles III and the royal family were racist in a letter she wrote to her father-in-law.  Following Markle and Prince Harry’s 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, the Duchess of Sussex penned Charles a letter with her concerns about "unconscious bias." In the documents, the mother of two shared that a senior royal was prejudiced toward Markle after "concerns and conversations" about the color of their unborn son’s skin were discussed, according to The Telegraph. MEGHAN MARKLE SKIPPING CORONATION 'A QUIET RELIEF' FOR ROYALS EAGER TO AVOID 'THE MEGHAN SHOW': EXPERT The letters between Charles and Markle "acknowledged that the individual’s remark was not made with malice." The Prince of Wales at the time reportedly wrote back to Markle about feeling "let down" by his own son Harry and daughter-in-law.  KING CHARLES MAKES SURPRISING GESTURE TOWARD MEGHAN MARKLE IN OFFICIAL CORONATION PROGRAM...

A Montana state representative condemned a transgender legislator's "hate-filled remarks" to Fox News Digital, accusing the representative of "seeking media attention." The controversy stems from comments made by State Rep. Zooey Zephyr during a Tuesday debate about a bill that would ban gender-affirming care for minors. Zephyr accused the bill's supporters of being complicit in the deaths of transgender youths. "The only thing I will say, is if you vote yes on this bill and yes on these amendments, I hope the next time there’s an invocation when you bow your heads in prayer, you see the blood on your hands," Zephyr said. TRANS MONTANA LAWMAKER LASHES OUT AT GOP COLLEAGUES DURING HOUSE FLOOR DEBATE: 'BLOOD ON YOUR HANDS' After her remarks, Republican Speaker Matt Regier refused to allow Zephyr to express her thoughts on a bill that would put binary definitions of sex in the state code. Zephyr was also barred from speaking at Thursday...

Alec Baldwin was seen in full costume on the new "Rust" set after his involuntary manslaughter charges were dismissed.  The 65-year-old actor geared up in his western wardrobe with a gray button-up, black jeans, a brown jacket with cowboy boots and a bandana. He wore a white cowboy hat and sported a gray beard on set.  Baldwin got into character and was seen holding a rifle by the barrel while filming. ALEC BALDWIN'S 'RUST' CRIMINAL CHARGES OFFICIALLY DROPPED; DIRECTOR INJURED IN FATAL SHOOTING SPOTTED ON SET A black and brown horse and other cast members dressed in cowboy getups were spotted in a grassy field.  Fox News Digital obtained additional photos of Baldwin leaving an apartment in Montana, where "Rust" is being filmed. The "30 Rock" alum was holding a black leather briefcase in one hand and a coffee cup in another, while wearing a black jacket. Baldwin returned to the "Rust" set in Montana Thursday. The new movie set...

Monica Chin / The Verge : Report: cheap Chromebooks, due to their short lifespans and lack of repairability, are less sustainable and more expensive for schools than pricier devices   —  Back in early 2020, as the covid pandemic drove classrooms online, school districts found themselves needing to bulk purchase affordable laptops …

The Biden administration is pushing full steam ahead to massively expand offshore wind development across millions of acres of federal waters, actions that critics warn would have dire ecological and economic impacts. Days after taking office, President Biden issued an executive action ordering his administration to expand opportunities for the offshore wind industry as part of his aggressive climate agenda to curb greenhouse gas emissions and stop global warming. Months later, he outlined goals to deploy 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030, the most ambitious goal of its kind worldwide. "Two years ago, President Biden issued a bold challenge to move America towards a clean energy future," Deb Haaland, the secretary of the Department of the Interior (DOI), said earlier this month. "The Interior Department answered that call and is moving rapidly to create a robust and sustainable clean energy economy with good-paying union jobs." In May 2021, the DOI...

Queen Elizabeth passed away just over seven months ago, and it's clear she's still very much in the hearts of those who loved her. To celebrate today, which would have been the monarch's 97th birthday, Prince William and Kate shared a photo on Instagram of her with several of the royal family's children. "Today would have been Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s 97th birthday," they acknowledged in the caption. "This photograph - showing her with some of her grandchildren and great grandchildren - was taken at Balmoral last summer." QUEEN ELIZABETH'S LEGACY: PADDINGTON BEARS LEFT IN TRIBUTE TO HER ARE GOING TO A CHILDREN'S CHARITY APP USERS CLICK HERE TO SEE PHOTO It was noted that the photo was taken by Middleton, credited simply as "The Princess." In the photo, Elizabeth is seated in the center of the sofa, and directly behind her is Princess Charlotte. To the left of her is Prince George, and Prince Louis is off to the f...

Another North Carolina legislator is entering the race to become the next state treasurer — a position currently held by recently announced gubernatorial candidate Dale Folwell. Mecklenburg County Republican Rep. John Bradford confirmed on Thursday that he's a candidate for treasurer, an office that will be on the ballot in 2024. Bradford, a property management software company owner, is now in his fourth term in the General Assembly . He lists on his campaign website the health of North Carolina's public pension system, the state's top-level bond rating and creation of an "entrepreneurial leadership program" for high school students as his top priorities if elected treasurer. NORTH CAROLINA MAN ACCUSED OF SHOOTING GIRL, 6, IN FACE WAS FREED ON BOND IN HAMMER ATTACK Another Mecklenburg County legislator, Democratic Rep. Wesley Harris, announced last month that he wanted to succeed Folwell. Folwell, a Republican, was first elected treasurer in 2016. He announ...

Andy Greenberg / Wired : Mandiant says the North Korea-linked hack of VoIP company 3CX's customers is the first confirmed incident of one software-supply-chain attack enabling another   —  The mass compromise of the VoIP firm's customers is the first confirmed incident where one software supply chain attack enabled another, researchers say.

Alec Baldwin's involuntary manslaughter charges were officially dismissed Friday. Special prosecutors Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis announced the decision Thursday as "new facts" have been revealed that require further investigation. In their motion to dismiss, the special prosecutors noted the further investigation and forensic analysis required cannot be completed before the start of the preliminary hearing on May 3. Lewis signed the nolle prosequi, which is a formal notice of abandonment of all or part of a legal case. The case has been closed in the First Judicial District Court of New Mexico. Baldwin was charged with involuntary manslaughter in January after a gun he was holding fired on the set of "Rust," killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. ALEC BALDWIN WILL RETURN TO ‘RUST’ SET THIS WEEK AS FILMING RESUMES AFTER FATAL SHOOTING Special prosecutors Morrissey and Lewis were weeks away from having to show a judge there was enough evidence for a re...

The State Department on Friday refused to answer questions about a claim from a former CIA official that Antony Blinken , now Biden's secretary of State, led efforts in 2020 to have intelligence officials write a letter that said the Hunter Biden laptop story was part of a Russian disinformation campaign. The House Judiciary and Intelligence Committees said Thursday that former CIA Deputy Michael Morell told the committee that Blinken was the "impetus" for the letter that was ultimately signed by 51 current and former intel officers. That letter said stories about Biden’s laptop were a Russian ploy, a claim that was later shown to be false. On Friday, a State Department spokesman said the department would not be answering any questions about Blinken’s alleged involvement in the letter. BIDEN CAMPAIGN, BLINKEN ORCHESTRATED INTEL LETTER TO DISCREDIT HUNTER BIDEN LAPTOP STORY, EX-CIA OFFICIAL SAYS "That is… not a State Department issue so I don’t have a comment for...

Michael Kan / PCMag : Mullvad VPN says Swedish police visited its office with a search warrant but left without any customer data after being informed of company's no-logging policy   —  However, Swedish law enforcement left with nothing after learning Mullvad VPN has a strict no-logging policy when it comes to customer information.

Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., pressed IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel on Thursday for answers regarding an IRS special agent’s allegation that an investigation into the president’s son, Hunter Biden, is being mishandled. During a virtual meeting between Werfel and other senators, Blackburn asked the IRS commissioner what he knew about the IRS special agent, who is now seeking whistleblower protection .  She asked Wefel what he knew about the whistleblower, when he knew about the allegations of mishandling the investigation, how he found out, and whether he tried to block any part of the investigation.  Wefel, who was confirmed by the Senate only last month, said he was facing a steep learning curve in his new role, and there was very little he could disclose.  REPUBLICANS RESPOND AFTER IRS WHISTLEBLOWER SAYS HUNTER BIDEN INVESTIGATION IS BEING MISHANDLED "It’s my understanding that even if I acknowledge that there is some type of investigation, that is 6103 inform...

Karl Lagerfeld, the subject of this year's Met Gala, transformed Chanel from frumpy to modern. He revolutionized the merger of hip-hop culture and high fashion. He dressed and befriended celebrities and transformed once-staid runway shows into masterful, theatrical displays. He was also a self-proclaimed "big mouth," publicly sounding off with fatphobia. He spoke against gay men who want to adopt children, migrants, sexual assault survivors, the #MeToo movement and "ugly" people, without apology. And he left behind the receipts, his own contentious words. Lagerfeld died in 2019 after dominating the fashion universe into his 80s. Come May 1, his legacy will be on display at the starry fundraising party and its companion exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute. Likely not on display, however, will be his polemical tendencies. JENNIFER LOPEZ REVISITS MEMORABLE PLUNGING GRAMMY'S DRESS "He offended people right and left, mak...

A super PAC supporting Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ presumed run for president in 2024 is reportedly making hires in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.  Though DeSantis has not formally announced a bid for the White House, those three states will kick off the Republicans' 2024 presidential nominating contest.  The New York Times reported that the pro-DeSantis super PAC, Never Back Down, has "acted as something of a campaign-in-waiting," explaining how it hires staff, responds to swipes by former President Donald Trump, and notably, engages with the mainstream media, which DeSantis himself aims to avoid.  The Times also noted how a key strategist, Sophie Crowell, who managed what resulted in the successful re-election campaign for Republican U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, of Iowa, in 2022, recently joined the payroll of the Republican Party of Florida.  TRUMP SOLIDIES ENDORSEMENT AND EARLY POLLING LEAD OVER DESANTIS, OTHER POTENTIAL 2024 CONTENDERS Never Back Down...

Jon Porter / The Verge : Twitter begins removing blue checkmarks from legacy verified accounts, fulfilling one of Elon Musk's long-stated plans; Musk has called the system “corrupt”   —  The change is apparent on Twitter accounts for several Verge writers and other journalists like LA Times reporter Matt Pearce …

North Dakota’s Republican Gov. Doug Burgum signed a bill into law that restricts transgender health care in the state, immediately making it a crime to give gender-affirming care to people younger than 18. Gender-affirming care for minors has been available in the U.S. for more than a decade and is endorsed by major medical associations, but it has increasingly come under attack in many conservative legislatures, including North Dakota's, where lawmakers have passed at least three anti-trans bills this year. The measure that Burgum signed Wednesday received veto-proof support from GOP lawmakers — though some Republicans did vote against it, alongside all Democrats. In a statement released Thursday morning, Burgum said the law is "aimed at protecting children from the life-altering ramifications of gender reassignment surgeries" but he added that medical professionals have testified these surgeries have not been and are not being performed on minors in North Dakota. H...

Brandy Betz / CoinDesk : Microsoft and decentralized data service Space and Time, in which M12 invested, partner to offer developers real-time blockchain data from the Azure Marketplace   —  The agreement comes seven months after the tech giant led a strategic funding round for the crypto firm.

Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson are putting their bromance to the test. After speculation that McConaughey and Harrelson may actually be half brothers, the two Hollywood actors want to find out the truth once and for all by taking a DNA test. Harrelson recently brought up the idea of further exploring if the two are actually related. "The thing is we want to go and test," he said on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert."  MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY AND WOODY HARRELSON MIGHT ACTUALLY BE BROTHERS AFTER SHOCKING FAMILY REVELATION "But for him, it's a much more big deal. I mean, he feels like he's losing a father. But I'm like, no you're gaining a different father and a brother." The 61-year-old’s comments come on the heels of McConaughey sharing the shocking family revelation during a podcast interview.  Harrelson continued to reveal his side of the story. "Well, I'll just say there is some veracity to that thought," Har...

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas apologized Wednesday to the family of two victims who died in a traffic accident caused by a human smuggler fleeing arrest at the border. Mayorkas – testifying before the House Homeland Security Committee – was asked to apologize to the family of Maria Tambunga and Emilia Tambunga , who were killed last month. "They're sitting right behind you. They came here today because they want answers. They came here today because of the failures of you and your leadership. They came here because they want closure," said Republican Rep. August Pfluger of Texas. SEN. MARSHALL INTRODUCES RESOLUTION FOR VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE IN MAYORKAS AMID SENATE GRILLING Mayorkas did stand and express condolences to the Tambunga family present – though he accused Pfluger of politicizing the tragedy. Speaking directly to the family without a microphone, Mayorkas could be heard at one point telling the group, "My heart breaks for your loss....

Amanda Silberling / TechCrunch : Snap expands its revenue share program to add creators with 50K+ followers and 25M+ monthly views, and says its TikTok rival Spotlight has 350M monthly users   —  Snapchat is rolling out additional features to help creators get noticed and make a living.  —  Over a year ago …

Rachel McAdams felt "guilty" for turning down roles in big-name films after her success in "The Notebook" and "Mean Girls." McAdams, 44, opened up about her fame and the breaks she has taken from Hollywood while promoting her upcoming film "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret." The actress turned down huge industry successes throughout a two-year pause in her career including "The Devil Wears Prada," "Casino Royale," "Iron Man," "Get Smart" and "Mission: Impossible III." TOM CRUISE WAS TURNED DOWN FOR 'MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE' BY THIS STAR "There’s certainly things like ‘I wish I’d done that,'" she told Bustle in a new interview. APP USERS CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE INSTAGRAM POST "I step back and go, ‘That was the right person for that.’" APP USERS CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE INSTAGRAM POST Despite believing she made the right decision, McAdams revealed she ...

Former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney will publish a new book this fall focusing on former President Trump and the "threat posed by his efforts to overturn the election" of 2020. Cheney was the foremost critic of Trump within the Republican Party, playing a major role in the House investigation into the January 6 Capitol protests throughout the past two years. Nevertheless, she paid the price for her opposition to the former president in an overwhelming defeat against Trump-aligned challenger Harriet Hageman in 2022. "The last two years have shown us once again that our constitutional republic is not self-sustaining," Cheney said in a statement regarding the book. "It survives only because of the courage and honor of individual Americans. When history looks back on this time, each elected official will have to answer the questions: Did we do our duty? Were we faithful to our oath of office?" she continued. BIDEN: ‘I ADMIRE THE HELL’ OUT OF LIZ CHENEY Chene...

Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., shared a tense exchange with Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona on Tuesday after Cardona repeatedly refused to define "woman" or definitively explain the extent of "equal access" for transgender students under the Biden administration's new Title IX rules. Cardona appeared before the House Appropriations Committee to defend his proposed change to Title IX that would make it illegal for schools to broadly ban transgender students from competing on sports teams that don’t align with their sex assigned at birth. Clyde asked Cardona to defend the proposal by first defining "what is a woman." Cardona dodged the question by replying, "Our focus at the department is to provide equal access to students, including students who are LGBTQ, access free from discrimination." BIDEN EDUCATION DEPARTMENT DISBANDSV NATIONAL PARENTS COUNCIL AFTER PARENTAL RIGHTS GROUPS SUE "So what's the definition of a woman?" ...

The campaign of former House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., paid $7,500 to an Illinois man who sued her campaign for violating federal robocalling laws. The man, Jorge Rojas, sued Pelosi's campaign for $31,500 in October 2022, alleging that the campaign's frequent texts infringed on the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991. The legislation prohibits solicitors from contacting individuals who have signed onto the Do Not Call Registry, and it applies to text messages. Rojas joined the Do Not Call Registry in 2008, but nevertheless received 21 texts from Pelosi's campaign between November 2021 and July 2022, according to Business Insider. Rojas alleged that the texts displayed Pelosi's "malicious, intentional, willful, reckless, wanton and negligent disregard" of the law, and sought $1,500 worth of damages for each text. MCCARTHY, TAIWANESE PRESIDENT MEET, DECLARE STRONG 'BOND' BETWEEN THE TWO NATIONS A report filed by Pelosi's campai...

Mark Gurman / Bloomberg : Sources: Apple is developing VR apps and services for its upcoming headset across gaming, fitness, live sports, and collaboration, like FaceTime and Freeform   —  Apple Inc. is racing to build a trove of software and services for its upcoming mixed-reality headset, seeking to win …

Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai is working on a new memoir, the latest book by the young activist from Pakistan known for her advocacy for education for girls and for surviving an assassination attempt by the Taliban when she was in her teens. Atria Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, announced the memoir Monday. It is currently untitled and has no scheduled release date. Yousafzai's previous works include the million-selling "I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban," published in 2013, the year before she won the Nobel Peace Prize at age 17. She has since graduated from Oxford University and married Asser Malik, a manager with the Pakistan Cricket Board. Her production company, Extracurricular, has a deal with Apple TV+ for a wide range of film and television projects. MALALA YOUSAFZAI: WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE PAKISTANI ACTIVIST FOR GIRLS' EDUCATION "The last few years of my life have been marked by ex...

"Squad" member Rep. Ilhan Omar , D-Minn., will be giving a video speech as an introductory speaker for a U.S. government-backed religious freedom event on Israel’s memorial day for fallen soldiers and terror victims. Omar, who has a history of making comments targeting Israel, is slated to speak at the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom’s (USCIRF) event commemorating Yom Hazikaron. Her name had previously been removed from the event's listed speakers.  Yom Hazikaron is an Israeli holiday commemorating fallen soldiers and the victims of terrorist attacks in the Jewish nation. ILHAN OMAR LABELED A ‘LIAR’ AFTER CLAIMING SHE WAS UNAWARE OF ‘TROPES ABOUT JEWS AND MONEY:’ ‘GIVE ME A BREAK’ Omar's spokesperson Jeremy Slevin told Fox News Digital that Omar will be speaking at the event.  "Rep. Omar will be delivering virtual remarks at the event, just like Sen. Rubio," Slevin said. A spokesperson for USCIRF told Fox News Digital the "had ...